Method for expanding sales through computer game

ABSTRACT

What is offered is a method for expanding sales for a merchant by attracting customers through a computer game. The method is based on the use of a computer game platform having an administrator panel and rentable by a merchant who advertises the product and offers a customer the choice to print a coupon and use it directly for purchasing the product or to participate in a betting-free and gambling-free computer game. The game is based on a bonus-based player&#39;s incentive to attract “n” number of friends as potential buyers of the product for participation in the game so that the merchant can economically justify the discount coupons and loss of one entire product due to attraction of a large amount of potential buyers.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method for expanding sales through a computer game by attracting customers and providing an incentive to participate in the game with friends, relatives, and others. Participation in the game is free and the incentive consists of a chance to win discount coupons to acquire specified goods or to win specified goods free of charge.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Growing use of the Internet has resulted in a constantly increasing number of people who enjoy playing software games and who wish to convert their hours of playtime into discounts or wins when conducting business over the Internet. As consumers have recognized the advantages of e-commerce through the Internet, companies have begun to offer more complex products and on-line services.

Many computer games exist, such as QuickBids, QuiBids, Ubids, Bidz, and Dreambids, which are bidding auctions wherein the customer is charged a certain amount. For example, QuiBids is an online auctioneer that charges $0.60 for each bid—and not just winning bids—every bid. Sites such as QuiBids, Ubids, Bidz, and Dreambids are not true gaming sites because bidding is not a game in the sporting sense; that is, there are no teams, no opponents, no particular sporting skills involved, no clear playing field, and no score. The prize—a great deal of some kind—may or may not materialize even for the “winner,” thus denigrating the very concept of “winning.”

Groupon is a deal-of-the-day website that features discounted gift certificates usable at local or national companies. Groupon represents a popular concept that generates half a billion dollars in sales annually. The originators of the above business venues believe that the most desirable thing possible is a freebee or, at the very least, a good deal. People like freebees and good deals, but they do not necessarily love them. The most popular thing in the world is a good game according to actual statistics.

There are numerous patents and published patent applications relating to auctions, auctions by means of gaming devices, reward programs, and other methods and systems for engaging and acquiring customers.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,167,709 issued May 1, 2012 to Muir discloses a method and apparatus for auctioning an item by means of a gaming device that enables a gaming-device player (e.g., a slot machine player) to select one or more auction items on which the player is interested in bidding. As the player plays the gaming device, a portion of each bet or a portion of each win, or both, is allocated to an accumulating bid on the selected auction item(s). In one embodiment, other players, connected through a network, also bid on the auction item(s) in a similar fashion. At the end of the auction, the highest bidder is awarded the auction item.

US Patent Application Publication No. 20110282728 (published Nov. 17, 2011; inventors Bigham, et all discloses systems, methods and apparatus needed to provide gaming establishments within the casino, lottery and gaming industries with a unified platform and middleware for the attraction, registration, engagement, delivery, management and measurement of new player acquisition through interactive mediums and channels. The systems and methods are configured to require entry of external information as part of delivery and/or redemption of incentives designed to attract and engage new and even existing players.

US Patent Application Publication No. 20110196725 (published Aug. 11, 2011; inventors Malcolmson, et al) discloses a system and method for implementing an electronic customer referral service that checks that the new customer is distinct from the referring customer and tracks the referral so that the old customer gets credit for their referred new customer's action.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventor herein proposes a gambling-free and bet-free gaming web (hereinafter referred to as GABFGW) which is a new gaming web application platform combining two things that people like most: a good game and free or greatly discounted products, e.g., cars and trucks, especially a chance to win a free car. Participants bet nothing; therefore this is not a gambling platform.

The GABFGW system comprises a rentable computer game platform that can be rented by a merchant. The main purpose of the game is to attract a large number of customers and, hence, potential buyers, by stimulating customers' incentive to attract their friends to visit the game home page on the rented platform, to participate in the game, and, thus, to further promote their friends' participation in the game, etc. Once a person is registered in the GABFGW system, he or she will remain there, may receive merchants' advertisements, and potentially may return to purchase a new product.

To make the proposed game attractive to customers, the merchant gives discounts and even an entire product, such as a car, free of charge because in the long run, the merchant gains a profit through increased sales.

The merchant specifies a game time and the rules of the game. The platform has access to a game window with various links through Admin/Main Panel of the platform. The game home page contains information about the product, which is an object of the game. The customer is offered the opportunity to get acquainted with the rules of the game. The game rules inform the customer that the game does not need any betting or gambling for money and that by attracting a specified number of friends, the customer can receive an additional virtual slot for playing and that game windows may be active while the player is using other windows for his or her routine work or study, etc. The player attracts friends to the game by importing their e-mail addresses through the player's page.

Once the player confirms agreement with the rules, a registration window appears on the player's page. The customer is asked to type his or her e-mail address and to choose a password. This information is fixed and registered by the system through Admin/Main Panel of the platform, the customer becomes a player and may play the game from any electronic device including any computer, i-Pad, i-Phone, etc.

The customer may choose not to play but rather to receive a coupon in order to buy a product using this coupon. If a customer decides to take a chance to receive a product through the game and choose to play, he or she is offered two alternatives, i.e., to play manually or to play in autoplay mode.

As mentioned above, the idea of the game organized by the merchant is to increase sales due to attraction of a large number of customers through customers' incentives to invite friends. Such incentives are stimulated by a bonus, e.g., by adding a second virtual slot to double the chance of winning.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of the method of the invention to expand sales by means of a computer game.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a gambling- and bet-free gaming web (hereinafter referred to as GABFGW) which is a new gaming web application platform combining two things people like most: a good game and free or greatly discounted products, e.g., cars or trucks. Participants bet nothing; therefore this is not a gambling platform. To better understand the GABFGW concept, let's examine it against the backdrop of existing merchandise “games.”

GABFGW is all about gaming, but it is not a penny auction or a bidding site. GABFGW is not a sweepstakes. The entire concept of the process of playing a game is missing from a sweepstakes. GABFGW is not similar to Groupon because Groupon is not a game. The national pastime, baseball, generates hundreds of billions in sales, reducing all QuiBids and Groupons to insignificance by comparison.

The GABFGW system comprises a computer game platform that can be rented by a merchant. The main purpose of the game is to attract a large number of customers and, hence, potential buyers, by stimulating the customer's incentive to attract friends to visit the game home page, to participate in the game, and thus to further promote their friends to participate in the game, etc.

The concept is a favorable one; that is, once a person is registered in the GABFGW system, he or she remains in the system, receives merchants' advertisements, and potentially returns to purchasing a new product. According to statistics, on average, loyal customers are worth up to 10 times as much as their first purchase.

To make the proposed game attractive to customers, the merchant gives discounts and even an entire product, such as car, can be free because in the long run, the merchant gains a profit through increased sales that result from involvement of a player's friends who, in turn, attract their friends, and so on. The player attracts friends to the game by importing their e-mail addresses through the player's page.

For example, even if a merchant loses $30,000 on a free car but attracts, e.g., 300 new potential customers bound to the merchant's advertisement network, then the merchant eventually wins, e.g., the cost of three cars ($90,000). These numbers are merely examples and do not correspond to actual situations, which may depend on many factors, such as location of a merchant's stores, brand names of the cars, time of the year, etc. More specific information for a merchant's decision is obtained from marketing studies, a merchant's experience, computerized economical calculations, etc. According to statistics, the probability of selling to a new prospect is from 5 to 20 percent, while the probability of selling to an existing customer is 60 to 70 percent.

The merchant specifies a time and the rules of the game (i.e., the sales term and game rules). The platform has access to a game window with a virtual slot that operates in accordance with parameters given by the merchant. The Game Home Page contains information about the product which is an object of the game. The customer is offered the opportunity to get acquainted with the rules of the game. Once the customer confirms agreement with the rules, a registration window appears on the Player's Page. The customer is asked to type his or her e-mail address and to create a password. The system registers and fixes this information, and the customer becomes a player. The customer can play the game from any electronic device connected to the Internet and having an Internet browser, such as a computer, i-Pad, i-Phone, etc.

When the player enters the Game Home Page for the first time, he or she is offered a choice to print a fixed Discount Coupon without participating in a game or to select one of two versions of a game. According to one version, the customer may choose the manual mode (MANUAL) with a gradation of discount coupons base on the principle “the greater the discount, the less a winning chance,” or the customer may choose the automatic mode (AUTOPLAY), in both cases letting the Random Numbers Generator decide whether the player wins or loses—similar to slot machines in any casino. This is not gambling, however, as the players are not betting any money.

The player may play on his or her smart phone, i-Pad, personal computer, etc., and may switch to another window to work or study without leaving the game, which can be continued to the end of the game term or until the game is won. In other words, the game browser window operates in the background without interference from other players' activities on the electronic device used to play the game.

Music or visual scenes can accompany the game by clicking on the virtual slot button on the Game Home Page. Spin with virtual slot may comprise some visual action on the background such as a hockey game, poker game, or tennis tournament. At the moment the player wins, the program produces an acoustic or visual signal, or both, e.g., a ring with flashing of the screen or a textual announcement.

At any given moment, all players are playing for the same prize, indicated on the screen as the “current prize.” Several runner-up prizes are also indicated so that the players can strategize if they wish. As soon as someone anywhere in the system wins the prize, the “current prize” comes off the screen, and the next runner up takes its place. For example, let's say the prize is $5000 cash back on the purchase of any new Ford and that Ford Motor Company granted only 10 such deals. As soon as all 10 prizes are won, the players then play for the Grand Prize: a free car. As soon as the Grand Prize is won, a new prize appears on the screen. For example, let's say that Toyota granted 5 such deals and that the prize is $5000 cash back on the purchase of any new Toyota. While the players are playing for a certain discount, they are also always playing for the Grand Prize: a free car.

The winnings are transferable between GABFGW members of the same team. Each coupon has a specific identification number. All players have a forum and a marketplace to sell or barter their prizes, paying GABFGW certain transaction fees. However, in every transaction, the buyer joins the seller's team. GABFGW handles and guarantees any sales of prizes between members. Members of the same team can also chat among themselves and post notices that can be viewed by all members of the team.

Without having to log in, anyone on the web who opens the game home page is offered a deal that they can simply print as a coupon. For example, let's say the deal is $1500 cash back on a new Ford and that the deal is broadly advertised by Ford and is available to everyone at all Ford dealerships. This would not be an exclusive GABFGW deal. Having printed the coupon, the person can leave the site or may choose to log in (become a member) and to play the game of choice for even greater deals available only through GABFGW. Playing a game does not opt out the user from the $1500 cash back deal on a new Ford. He or she can print the coupon at any time, whether or not registered. If a player wins a coupon and buys at least one product, he or she may obtain an additional virtual slot to play for at least one other product.

Similar to Facebook, users can have their own circle of friends or teammates and can create teams. One can invite teammates en masse to one's team by dragging and dropping entire Google address books or the entirety of one's Facebook or 1^(st) Linkedin connections into the GABFGW invitation form with no restrictions.

Every user can participate in the game as one person who has access to one virtual slot. However, a user who wishes to play on two or more virtual slots, thus multiplying the chances to win, may do the following:

-   -   (1) buy one or more extra virtual slots for a reasonable fee,         e.g., $5 per extra virtual slot for the term of the game;     -   (2) invite a specified number of “friends” to one's team within         the GABFGW system, e.g., 24 players in addition to the user who         logged into the game, bringing the total number of players in         the team to 25. Having 25 players on a team immediately triggers         a free additional virtual slot for the player who invited the         friends, and this doubles the chances to win. If the player wins         a coupon and buys at least one product, the player may obtain an         additional virtual slot to play for at least one additional         product.

Each of the friends, in turn, may invite a specified number of friends, and so on. Thus, the number of players, e.g., potential buyers of the product, may grow in geometrical proportion based on the stimulus given for each player to increase the chances of winning. The merchant who provides discounts and even gives away a free product, such as a car, hopes to justify his expenses based on the self-developed customer multiplication organization.

However, if the number of friends participating in the game simultaneously drops to the number below a specified number, e.g., from 24 to 23, the additional VIRTUAL SLOT disappears and appears again if the player invites at least one additional friend to the team of 23 people who are active in the game.

Although the product, which is the object of the game, may comprise any product, such as a piano, a boat, or the like, a car is one of the most desirable and needed products of any adult person, household, or business.

Once a customer chooses a game, he or she reads the game rules. If the customer accepts the rules, the customer is then registered and is allowed to log in to the game. If the customer does not register, he or she is sent back to the Game Home Page. As mentioned above, simultaneously with registration the customer may invite his or her friends to participate in a game.

Once a merchant rents a computer game platform, the merchant places an advertisement about the new coupon game on all merchants' websites. An object of the game may be one product or more products chosen by the merchant for discounted sale on the basis of marketing research and analysis. The product has a predetermined identification number, which for a car is the VIN (vehicle identification number).

The duration of the game is based on preliminary calculations made with reference to current demand and offers, location of merchants' stores, etc. The Grand Prize, which is a free product, e.g., a car, is also taken into account in the aforementioned marketing research and analysis of the target product. Let us assume that the product is a car, e.g., a 2012 Ford Taurus. The rules of the game, design of coupons, and windows with virtual slot, etc., are developed by the merchant during the game preparation stage and must be approved by the administrator of the platform. All approved information is contained on the Game Home Page.

Coupon-game advertisements may be sent to new or current customers of the merchant though e-mails, brochures, or TV, etc. If a potential customer is looking for a product offered by the merchant or becomes interested in this product when he or she sees the advertisement, the potential customer opens the Game Home Page by clicking the respective button.

On the Game Home Page the customer can print the coupon and go to the store to buy the product with a fixed discount percentage, or the customer can choose a coupon game by clicking the respective button.

The customer can choose to print the coupon without going to a game. The coupon contains information about the percentage of discount, the term of coupon validity, and locations where the coupon can be realized. If the customer chooses to play, this opens the Game Home Page, which contains the game rules. The game rules inform the potential player that the game is risk-free and does not require betting or gambling. The rules should be explained here, including the rule that the player can select discount coupons or participate in the game, that for attracting a specified number of friends the player can receive another virtual slot for playing, and that game windows may be active while the player is using other windows for routine work or study, etc. The rules of the game also explain the chance of winning. Among other things, game rules should inform the customer of the requirement to register, read, understand, and observe the game rules and that registration is an acceptance of the Game Contract as a Public Offer.

After confirming agreement with the rules, the customer pushes the registration button on the Player's Page. Here the customer registers his or her e-mail address and creates a password. Identity of the password is checked, and on submission of the recorded data, the customer now becomes a player and is offered to choose manual play or autoplay.

None of the conventional autoplays generally work without having a certain amount of real or virtual money or credit, i.e., Autoplay does not work if the counter shows 0, and the game does not start until the player adds money or credit. In other words, a conventional Autoplay has a certain limit based on real or virtual money. In contrast to this, the game of the present invention does not have any limits except the time limit specified for the game by the merchant, e.g., 24 hours from a certain hour of a certain day to another certain time of a certain day, or up to a win. If the time is over and the win is not achieved but the player attracts “n” number of friends to the game, the game either continues or switches to another product offered by the merchant. The game is provided with a player number validation function that validates the number of friends attracted by the customer and logged into the game.

If the time is over, the player is switched without any interruption to the Game Home Page for another deal. In other words, the player does not need to do anything and is switched to another daily deal automatically. The merchant is ready to lose the entire product, e.g., a car, because in the long run the merchant justifies the loss on a great number of coupons that will yet realize some profit.

A flowchart of the method of the invention is shown in FIG. 1. In the following description of the flowchart, some main principles of the method of the invention will be repeated. The Merchant Home Page contains information about the product, which is on sale and comprises the subject of the coupon game, the time or term of the game, i.e., the day and hours during which the game is open for customers, and the game rules that are prepared by the merchant and approved through the administrator panel. The administrator uses the administrator panel to record registration, coupon printing, and product purchases for accumulation and processing of statistic data, etc. Also, the administrator analyses the Game Home Page developed by the merchant and approves use of this page. The Merchant Home Page has a reference to the Game Home Page, which is accessible through the Internet as soon it is approved by the administrator.

The Game Home Page offers the customer use of a Discount Coupon to buy the product without playing the game or offers the customer participation in the game. If the customer chooses to buy the product through the use of the coupon and without participation in the game, he or she prints the coupon and goes to the store, dealership, etc. to buy the product.

According to the flowchart in FIG. 1, once the customer chooses to participate in the game, he or she is offered to accept the Game Rules, and on acceptance of the rules, the customer registers by entering his or her e-mail address and creating a password. If registration is not accepted, the customer is sent back to the Game Home Page.

If registration is accepted, the customer is registered and may log into the game through the Player's page. At the same time, the player is allowed to invite a specified number of friends, e.g., 24 friends. When the number of invited friends who log into the game reaches a specified number, in this case 24, the player receives a stimulus bonus, e.g., in the form of an additional VIRTUAL SLOT, the use of which doubles the chances of winning.

Once the player logs into the game home page, he or she can play either manually or in autoplay mode. If the player manages to win the game coupon, either in the manual or autoplay mode, as mentioned above, the player may save the coupon or print it and use it, as in the “Save-or-Print-Coupon” box of the player's page, and can then buy the product in accordance with the procedure on the Player's page. The manual mode means that the player must click the MANUAL button for each spin. In the autoplay mode, the game continues without interruption until the player wins the coupon or the product or until the end of the current game term. On completion of the current game term, the player who plays in the autoplay mode is automatically switched to another deal on the Game Home Page, if any. The customer is informed about the fact of winning or discontinuation of the game by acoustic signal, by visual signal, or electronically.

Although the invention has been shown and described with reference to specific embodiments, it is understood that these embodiments should not be construed as limiting the areas of application of the invention and that any changes and modifications are possible provided that these changes and modifications do not depart from the scope of the attached patent claims. For example, the term “product” means not only a physical product but also a service, travel coupon, ticket to sport games, etc. The discount coupon may contain information about the product in textual form or in the form of pictures, references to websites, etc. The number of friends to be invited to a game is not limited to 24, which is given only as an example. 

1. A method for expanding sales for a merchant by attracting customers through a gambling-free and betting-free computer game, comprising: providing a rentable computer game platform having an administrator panel controllable by an administrator and accessible through the Internet; renting a rentable computer game platform to a merchant who wants to sell at least one product that has a predetermined identification number; providing a merchant home page prepared by a merchant, said merchant home page containing information about at least one product, the sales term, and the game rules; transmitting of information about at least one product, the sales term, and the game rules to the administrator panel for approval by the administrator; opening of the game home page on approval of information about at least one product, the sales term, and the game rules by the administrator, the game home page providing the customer with the choice of printing at least one coupon or participating in a gambling-free and betting-free game and with an incentive to attract “n” number of friends as potential buyers of at least one product for participation in the game so that the merchant's free mode of the game is economically justified; and accessing the game from any electronic device connectable to the Internet.
 2. The method as claimed in claim 1, providing the game home page with game rules and opening a game window with a virtual slot if the customer confirms agreement with the game rules, the virtual slot operating in accordance with parameters given by the merchant; and allowing the customer to choose manual spin or autoplay, wherein the manual spin requires a manual click for each spin and wherein autoplay continues automatically without interruption until expiration of the sales term or until winning at least one coupon or at least one product, whereupon the game switches to another deal on the game home page.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the incentive to attract “n” number of friends comprises opening an additional virtual slot when the number of player's friends logged into the game reaches “n”.
 4. The method of claim 3, further providing the game with the player's page and registering the customer on the player's page as a player upon the customer's confirming agreement with the game rules, registration comprising the player's e-mail address and password, and the player attracting friends to the game by importing their e-mail addresses through the player's page.
 5. The method of claim 4, further providing the game with a player number validation function that validates the number of friends attracted by the player and logged into the game.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the game is accessible to the player from any electronic device connectable to the Internet and having an Internet browser, wherein for autoplay the game home page works in the background without interference from other players' activity on the electronic device used for the game.
 7. The method of claim 3, wherein the game is accessible to the player from any electronic device connectable to the Internet and having an Internet browser, wherein for autoplay the game home page works in the background without interference from other players' activity on the electronic device used for the game.
 8. The method of claim 5, wherein the game is accessible to the player from any electronic device connectable to the Internet and having an Internet browser, wherein for autoplay the game home page works in the background without interference from other players' activity on the electronic device used for the game.
 9. The method of claim 5, wherein further providing the step of registering on the game home page the fact of printing at least one coupon, winning at least one coupon, or winning at least one product.
 10. The method of claim 7, wherein further providing the step of registering on the game home page the fact of printing at least one coupon, winning at least one coupon, or winning at least one product.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein if the customer has chosen to print the coupon and to buy at least one product, the customer registers the fact of buying the product on the game home page.
 12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further providing the game home page with game rules and opening the game window with a virtual slot if the customer confirms agreement with the game rules, the virtual slot operating in accordance with parameters given by the merchant; allowing the customer to choose a manual spin or auto play, wherein the manual spin requires a manual click for each spin and wherein autoplay continues automatically without interruption until expiration of the sales term or until winning at least one coupon or at least one product, whereupon the game is switched to the game home page for another deal; the incentive to attract “n” number of friends comprising opening an additional virtual slot when the number of customer friends logged into the game reaches “n”; and providing the game with the game home page and registering the customer on the player's page as a player upon the customer's confirming agreement with the game rules, the registration comprising the player's e-mail address and password assigned to the player, the player attracting friends to the game by importing their e-mail addresses through the player's page.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the game is accessible to the player from any electronic device connectable to the Internet and having an Internet browser, wherein in case of autoplay the game home page works in the background without interference from other players' activity on the electronic device used for the game.
 14. The method of claim 10, wherein if the player wins a coupon and buys at least one product, the player obtains an additional virtual slot to play for at least one other product.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one product is a car, and the predetermined identification number is the vehicle identification number.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein for the customer who chooses to print a coupon and to buy a car instead of playing, the customer obtains an additional virtual slot to play for another product.
 17. The method as claimed in claim 16, further providing the game home page with game rules and opening a game window with a virtual slot if the customer confirms agreement with the game rules, the virtual slot operating in accordance with parameters given by the merchant; allowing the player to choose a manual spin or autoplay, wherein the manual spin requires a manual click for each spin and wherein autoplay continues automatically without interruption until expiration of the sales term or until winning at least one coupon or at least one product, wherein the incentive to attract “n” number of friends comprising opening an additional virtual slot when the number of player's friends logged into the game reaches “n”; and providing the game with the player's page and registering the customer on the player's page as a player upon the customer's confirming agreement with the game rules, the registration comprising the player's e-mail address and password assigned to the player, the player attracting friends to the game by importing their e-mail addresses through the player's page.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the game is accessible to the player from any electronic device connectable to the Internet and having an Internet browser, wherein for autoplay the game home page works in the background without interference from other players' activity on the electronic device used for the game.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein if the player wins a coupon and buys the car, the player obtains an additional virtual slot to play for another product. 